Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an innovative system that attaches the mast of a sailboat to the hull in such a way that the mast tips in the wind independently of the hull, allowing the hull to remain flat relative to the water thus reducing or eliminating capsizing due to accident or lack of sailing experience.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a traditional sailing system, the mast is rigidly fixed to the boat at a 90 degree angle to the deck. Cables or stays from the mast to the deck are used to maintain this rigidity. A boom is fixed to the mast at a swivel point allowing it to swing left and right aft of the of the mast. The boom is controlled with a set of lines that run from it to the deck. The sail is then stretched between the mast and the boom and the swing of the boom is used to adjust the sail to the optimum angle for wind power. Because the mast is rigidly fixed to the hull, a stiff breeze from any of many different angles will place sufficient wind pressure on the sail and mast to cause the entire boat to heel over or tip in the wind. The deck remains fixed at 90 degrees to the mast, but changes its angle relative to the water, often drastically.
The traditional design also significantly limits the process of xe2x80x9cdumping wind,xe2x80x9d loosening the sail to reduce its resistance to the wind and thus reducing the heel of the hull and the speed of the boat, because the mast stays limit the ability to swing the sail away from the wind. The stays limit the swing of the boom to 180 degrees at best. When docking a traditionally rigged sailboat, this limitation means that when the wind is coming from behind the boat, the sails must be dropped or furled to kill the power of the wind and stop the forward motion of the boat. This can be especially tricky for the novice sailor and, when the wind is strong, it can become difficult or even hazardous for the experienced sailor.
Even in those boat designs that have rotating masts, the masts are placed in tubes that are fixed to the boats at 90 degree angles to the decks. Such masts rely on the strength of the material from which the masts are made (e.g. carbon fiber) to support the sails. As soon as the tensile limits of the masts are reached, this type of boat heels or tips in the wind just as a stayed mast boat does. These designs are limited in hull and sail size.
In boats with current rotating mast and boom designs, the booms are low and parallel to the deck creating a danger to crew when they swing across the deck.
For a small sailboat that does not have a weighted centerboard or keel for stability, the consequence of these traditional designs is that the boat heels significantly in even light to moderate winds. Small boat sailors expect xe2x80x9cknockdownsxe2x80x9d or capsizing due to unexpected wind gusts or as a result of their inexperience. They expect to spend time learning to manage complex rigging, and they expect to spend time furling and otherwise managing sail. Even in larger boats of weighted keel or weighted drop keel design, the traditional fixed mast design creates the need for the hull to heel in a strong wind, and creates the safety and manageability problems caused by traditional complexity.
The object of the present invention is to provide a system for sailboats of any hull design that allows the mast to tilt in the wind while the deck stays flat relative to the water. The invention significantly simplifies mast and boom rigging. It significantly simplifies sail management. The only line to the deck is a sheet from the end of the boom that establishes point of sail. The sailor need only release this sheet to allow the sail to turn completely away from the wind increasing safety in high winds and simplifying docking or mooring.
The system consists of four elements in most embodiments:
1. A self-righting mast assembly that attaches the mast to the hull and consists of:
a) a housing that is attached to the hull,
b) a mast support tube in which the mast is inserted rests on a pivot point in the housing,
c) a system of tensioners that both attach the mast support tube to the housing and allow the mast to lean in the wind independently of the hull to the tensioners limit,
d) a tension adjusting mechanism that increases or decreases the resistance of the tensioners.
2. A self-stayed mast assembly that is able to rotate 360 degrees in the mast support tube and tilt in all directions in the wind. The self-stayed mast is sufficiently strong to heel in the wind and, at the same time, propel the boat forward. The strength of the mast comes from 2 elements: a cable bridging system that offsets pressure to one side of the mast with a cable bridge on the other, and a mast reinforcing bar, rotational wear assembly that strengthens the mast from above the lower cable attaching points to the pivot point at the bottom of the mast.
3. A floating wishbone boom that is attached to the mast by a system of pulleys and cleats and thus does not require lines attaching it to the deck. Such a boom design allows the boom to rotate and lean with the mast independent of the deck. It allows a simplified boom and sail stowage system.
4. A sail design that includes the boom vang, the line that runs from the boom to the mast, in a sleeve attached to the bottom of the sail. Such a sail design allows the floating boom attached to the integrated boom vang to become the outhaul and spread the sail by pushing the entire assembly away from the mast.